Whilst the ability to reduce costs and potentially identify new sources of revenue is attractive, there are considerable challenges which need to be overcome in order to reap these benefits.

New Build
If an intelligent building solution is to be implemented as part of the main contract - rather than a subsequent add-on, the IP network must be installed before the property is completed. This is a radical concept for more traditionally minded developers and it can cause considerable anxiety about technical challenges, costs and where responsibility for each aspect of the project lies.

Whilst procurement routes for building management systems, telephony and other services are all well-established and have been in operation for decades, the decision to implement an intelligent building system will change this completely. Also the situation is further complicated. It is impossible (at present) to go to a single source for a complete intelligent building solution: it has to be obtained from a number of different suppliers or partners, which again adds to the complexity of the procurement phase.